The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus which communicates with a storage device to perform data transfer based on a predetermined interface communication standard, and an error processing method for an error code reported from the storage device upon the data transfer.
An image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, a printer, or a facsimile compresses inputted image data and temporarily stores the compressed data into a storage device, and then expands the compressed data read again from the storage device and executes image forming processing based on the expanded image data. In addition, an image reading apparatus such as a scanner provided on a copy machine, a facsimile, or the like compresses read image data and stores the compressed data into a storage device, and then, when a readout command has been inputted, reads out the compressed data from the storage device and expands the compressed data.
Conventionally, a hard disk storage device (hereinafter, referred to as an “HDD” is used as the storage device. Data transfer with an HDD is performed based on an interface standard such as Serial-ATA interface. Generally, the interface standard specifies that, when an error (abnormality) occurs in an HDD or a connection port or when a transfer error occurs, an error code indicating the content or the status of the error that occurs is reported, and a plurality of error codes are prepared.
Even in the case where no error occurs in an HDD, when noise is applied from outside to an apparatus having the HDD, a bit error may occur on a response signal from the HDD, so that an error code indicating that an error occurs may be reported. Particularly, in an image processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus or an image reading apparatus which handles a sheet material such as a recording sheet or a document sheet which is likely to store static electricity, static electricity is likely to occur. Therefore, noise due to static electricity is likely to be applied to the HDD through a communication cable or a frame. Therefore, even though an error does not actually occur, an error code is reported from the HDD to a control portion of the image processing apparatus. Conventionally, a technique is known in which, when an error code is thus reported erroneously, whether or not an error actually occurs is checked. This conventional technique is a processing technique in which, when an error code is reported from an HDD, retry processing (rewrite processing) for the HDD is performed within an upper limit number of times, and then if writing by the retry processing has not been successfully performed within the upper limit number of times, it is determined that an HDD error occurs.
In the conventional technique, whether or not the error code is erroneously reported, retry processing is always performed when an error code is reported. Therefore, in the case where an error code is normally reported, unnecessary retry processing is performed, whereby time is unnecessarily wasted, and also, execution of error processing corresponding to the error code is delayed. In addition, under the condition that communication between the control portion and the HDD of the apparatus may be delayed, a long time is wasted for retry processing, so that a time-out error occurs and the retry processing itself is failed, and also, there is a possibility that processing corresponding to the error code cannot be executed.